Nico Ditch

Nico Ditch
Nico Ditch running west near Levenshulme
Map
53°27′03″N 2°10′37″W / 53.4508°N 2.1769°W / 53.4508; -2.1769
LocationGreater Manchester, England
DesignerAnglo-Saxons
TypeDitch and earthwork
Length6 mi (9.7 km)
Width4–5 yards (3.7–4.6 m)
Completion date5th – 11th century
Dismantled dateLarge sections lost to urban expansion

Nico Ditch is a six-mile (9.7 km) long linear earthwork between Ashton-under-Lyne and Stretford in Greater Manchester, England. It was dug as a defensive fortification, or possibly a boundary marker, between the 5th and 11th century. The ditch is still visible in short sections, such as a 330-yard (300 m) stretch in Denton Golf Course. For the parts which survived, the ditch is 4–5 yards (3.7–4.6 m) wide and up to 5 feet (1.5 m) deep. Part of the earthwork is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.